3 ms·

> I can't help but wonder whether the similarity of the "bulbs" to the rather unique Buddha "hairstyle" (of allegedly funny lumps of hair) was just a coincidenc

> I can't help but wonder whether the similarity of the "bulbs" to the rather unique Buddha "hairstyle" (of allegedly funny lumps of hair) was just a coincidence. Honest question: what else do you think it could be, if not a coincidence?

hnfong 3y ago
Honest answer: some early Buddhist followers taking some form of acid/mushrooms and saw geometric visions of the Mandelbrot set and thought it was a divine manifestation of Buddha? I mean, I don't think this is likely, but that's the best I got. I hear the brain likes to go into geometry mode when hallucinogens are ingested, and I suppose the brain is theoretically powerful enough to compute the Mandelbrot sets...
- armchairdweller 3y ago
  I have had similar thoughts. The prominent modes and paths of this 2D probability distribution also show some resemblance to the kabbalistic tree of life, which is its own, but fairly related topic of study. DMT use within a connected strand of this "inner science" has been suspected. Drawing more of these far-fetching connections: The complex plane is related to several areas of physics, which might somehow find expression in electromagnetic brain dynamics. In any case, the buddhabrot distribution seems quite understudied both from a scientific / mathematical PoV, and from the perspectives of the occluded study of the "inner realms".
- fractaltemp 3y ago
  I've done a wide variety of hallucinogens. While I've seen things that could be described as fractal (in that they are nested and self similar), I've never seen a literal time escape fractal. In my experience, hallucinations look more like turbulent flow, like smoke. Deepdream isn't a terrible first approximation, but may give you the impression that the hallucinations are more dramatic or total than is typical. I can't rule this hypothesis out entirely, but I'm very skeptical. Pareidolia seems more likely to me.

hnfong 3y ago

Honest answer: some early Buddhist followers taking some form of acid/mushrooms and saw geometric visions of the Mandelbrot set and thought it was a divine manifestation of Buddha? I mean, I don't think this is likely, but that's the best I got. I hear the brain likes to go into geometry mode when hallucinogens are ingested, and I suppose the brain is theoretically powerful enough to compute the Mandelbrot sets...

armchairdweller 3y ago
I have had similar thoughts. The prominent modes and paths of this 2D probability distribution also show some resemblance to the kabbalistic tree of life, which is its own, but fairly related topic of study. DMT use within a connected strand of this "inner science" has been suspected. Drawing more of these far-fetching connections: The complex plane is related to several areas of physics, which might somehow find expression in electromagnetic brain dynamics. In any case, the buddhabrot distribution seems quite understudied both from a scientific / mathematical PoV, and from the perspectives of the occluded study of the "inner realms".
fractaltemp 3y ago
I've done a wide variety of hallucinogens. While I've seen things that could be described as fractal (in that they are nested and self similar), I've never seen a literal time escape fractal. In my experience, hallucinations look more like turbulent flow, like smoke. Deepdream isn't a terrible first approximation, but may give you the impression that the hallucinations are more dramatic or total than is typical. I can't rule this hypothesis out entirely, but I'm very skeptical. Pareidolia seems more likely to me.